Vaughan still ready for ODI call

Former England ODI captain Michael Vaughan still holds hopes of a rebirth in the blue-and-red, despite missing the first two series since he resigned the captaincy.

Vaughan stood down following England’s poor World Cup campaign which saw them win just one (dead) game against serious opposition, and, along with Andrew Strauss, was left-out against West Indies earlier this summer, a selection that was repeated when the squad to play India was announced last week. Vaughan, however, said he was always ready for the call, and hoped that the lack of captaincy might change things.

“Maybe playing as a non-captain will unleash the shackles, and I will just have a go and become a better player,” he told the NatWest cricket website. He believes that his successor, Paul Collingwood, would play the biggest part in any such decision: “Only time will tell – but certainly in a year if I’m fit and firing I’d like another opportunity. But that’s down to Colly to select me.”

Vaughan was picked for England in ODIs for the first time in Sri Lanka in 20001 as a replacement player when Nasser Hussain was injured, despite a one-day average for Yorkshire of just 26. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he failed to make the grade, and in 83 innings averaged just 27.15, with a strike-rate below 70. Captaincy made little difference either, with his average as captain finishing at just under 29, while not as captain he averaged 23.50. This is despite a Test career which, after appearing broken for 18 months while he sat out with a knee injury, has had life breathed back into it this summer. Vaughan has enjoyed his best season since 20023, averaging 54.60 over the summer and re-establishing himself as captain in the longer game. Perhaps he might be best served putting his limited-over woes behind him.